In this section

46. THE PRIORY OF BULLINGTON

The Gilbertine priory of St. Mary, Bullington,
was founded as a double house between 1148
and 1154 by Simon, son of William de Kyme. (fn. 1)
He gave as a site part of his park of Bullington,
and part of his wood and lands on the north and
east of the priory, the churches of Bullington
and Langton, Hackthorn mill, lands for a grange
at Faldingworth, and pasturage in Aldfeld for
600 sheep. (fn. 2) His son, Philip de Kyme, provided
for the maintenance of seven canons his demesne
land in Faldingworth, the churches of Spridlington and Winthorpe, and a moiety of
Friskney. (fn. 3) He gave 20 acres in Huttoft for
the clothing of the convent, (fn. 4) and for the farmery
of the nuns the church of St. Albinus at Spridlington. (fn. 5) The prior and convent of Sempringham
made over their lands at Skirbeck, near Boston,
for the care of the sick, (fn. 6) and also granted for
half a mark yearly the church of West Torrington, (fn. 7) of which St. Gilbert held the rectory. (fn. 8)
Alexander de Crevequer granted 52 acres in
Hackthorn, and common of pasture for 500
sheep. (fn. 9) He also united to Bullington the small
Gilbertine priory, which his father had founded
on the island of Tunstall. (fn. 10)

The numbers were limited by the statute of
St. Gilbert to 100 nuns and lay sisters, and
50 canons and lay brothers. (fn. 11)

Throughout the thirteenth century the prior
and convent continued to acquire both lands and
churches. In 1248 they obtained a bull from
Innocent IV enabling them to appropriate the
church of Prestwold, worth 65 marks, because
they had to maintain 100 women who, for lack
of necessaries, suffered in health. (fn. 12) In 1254 the
spiritualities were assessed at £100, the temporalities at £96 3s. 6d. (fn. 13) In 1277 a licence was
obtained to appropriate in mortmain lands, tenements, or churches to the value of £40 a year, (fn. 14)
the endowment was increased by small sums
spread over many years, (fn. 15) but in 1291 the assessment of the temporalities had risen to
£111 5s. 7½d. (fn. 16) In 1310 John Dalderby,
bishop of Lincoln, allowed the prior and convent
to appropriate the church of Ingham, because the
house was burdened with 'a multitude' of nuns
and lay sisters, the revenues were quite inadequate, and great expenses 'which ought to be
still greater' were incurred in providing hospitality. (fn. 17) Yet the house had a large trade in wool,
selling in the fourteenth century 18 sacks a
year. (fn. 18)

In 1303 the prior held a knight's fee in
Hardwick by Wragby, half a fee in Ingham,
a quarter of the fee of Croft, Friskney, Burgh
and Winthorpe, one-eighth of another in Burgh,
a quarter of a fee in Fulletby and Oxcombe,
one-thirtieth of another in Oxcombe, one-sixth
in Redbourne, one-sixth and one-fortieth of one
fee in Hainton, and one-twelfth in Lissington,
one-eighth and one-fifteenth in Hainton, onetenth in Hackthorn, one-twelfth in Wragby, and
one-eightieth of half a fee in Rand. In 1346 he
also held half a fee in Torrington, and in 1428
three-quarters of a fee in Bilsby and Huttoft. (fn. 19)

Bullington, like the other Gilbertine houses,
never recovered from the effects of the Black
Death. The revenues from churches in Lincolnshire dwindled greatly; indeed in 1428 there
were not ten persons domiciled in the parishes of
Bullington (fn. 20) and St. Albinus, Spridlington. (fn. 21) For
this reason the prior and convent suffered the
church of St. Albinus at Spridlington to fall into
ruin, and in 1417 they gladly consented to its
union with the church of St. Hilary. (fn. 22) In 1448
they petitioned that their third of the church of
Fulletby might be united to the remainder, as
no rector would accept that portion on account
of its great poverty. (fn. 23)

In 1449, just before the Wars of the Roses,
they complained to the bishop of Lincoln of
trespass and damage in ten of their granges, and
prayed him to excommunicate the offenders in
virtue of a bull of Innocent IV. (fn. 24)

The house was surrendered on 26 September,
1538, by the prior and nine canons, (fn. 25) the prioress
and fourteen nuns were included with them in
the pension list. (fn. 26)

In 1535 the net annual value of the property
amounted to £158 7s. 11d. (fn. 27) Of this sum
£91 6s. 2d. was drawn from the rectories of
Hackthorn, Burgh in the Marsh, Winthorpe,
West Torrington, Langton, Friskney, and
Prestwold. All the granges and tenements were
let, and the demesne at Bullington farmed by the
prior and convent was only worth £5 a year.

In the hands of the crown bailiff four years
later the property brought in £78; (fn. 28) however,
the more valuable rectories, the site of the priory,
and several of the granges had already been
granted away. (fn. 29)

Prioress of Bullington

There are several seals of Bullington Priory.
The first, (fn. 42) attached to a deed of the twelfth
century, is in shape a pointed oval. It represents the Virgin seated, wearing a flat cap and
dress with long sleeves, and holding the Child
on her lap with her left hand, and in her right
hand she has a flower. (fn. 43) The legend is SIGNUM
COVENTUS SANTE MARIE DE BVLINGTVN.

An early chapter seal of the thirteenth
century, (fn. 44) in shape a pointed oval, represents an
ornamental fleur-de-lis. The legend is SIGILLVM
DE BVLLINTVN.

A later chapter seal of the thirteenth century
is a smaller pointed oval, and represents a bust in
profile to the left, couped at the neck. (fn. 45) The
legend is wanting.

A seal ad causas of the early fourteenth
century is a pointed oval, and represents the
Virgin crowned, and with a nimbus, seated in a
canopied niche with tabernacle work at the
sides, the Child on her left knee. In base, under
a pointed arch, the prior is kneeling in prayer, to
the right. (fn. 46) The legend is . . . PRIOR' ET
CONVENTVS DE BOLINGTON AD CAUSAS.

A seal of Prior Walter of the middle of the
thirteenth century is a small pointed oval, with
an eagle displayed. (fn. 47)

The seal attached to the surrender represents
the Virgin crowned, with the Child on her lap. (fn. 48)